Wednesday 23rd May – windsurfing **** The Dip, Felixstowe – sunny start then clouded over with a little light rain.

26.24 knot. max, 21.86 knot. ave., 9.47 knot. hr., 22.03 knot mile, 38.10 km., 14.27 knot. alpha. 

Third time lucky today:) after the last two days when the wind didn’t play ball three of us actually got out on shortish boards and had a good sail! The forecast 15/20 was supposed to be NNE, that cross off and no good but turning NE at midday. To start with things didn’t look very promising with the wind up and down and all over the place direction wise:( Not in a hurry to gey down hoping things would settle, Neil and Linda arrived at The Dip a bit early so had to wait. We had a walk-up town then Mag made a top salad and we went down to the beach at about one. The wind was light and cross off so had our lunch and had a chat with Neil and Linda but then the wind switched cross shore and increased:) Gear choice was the next problem in the variable conditions and we both went big, me 8.5 and the 310, with Neil rigging 8m. As Mag started to walk home I went out expecting to be overpowered but this sail can handle 20 mph+ with ease and I was never overpowered. The sea soon picked as the tide turned and the board was a fraction too big and this long board is not the easiest to gybe. With the tide now flowing with the wind it was slow going making upwind but I made it to kite beach, where four kiters were out and went for a fast mile when the wind was at its strongest and was pleased to get a 26 knot max and a 21 knot mile, not bad for big kit in a big sea. Both me and Neil went in to change down, me to 6.5 on the 282 and Neil rigged 6.9. Andy Mexome arrived and was rigging 7m when the wind dropped so the small kit was never used! Andy changed to 8m and we went out on the big stuff again in a sea that had smoothed off:) I was even managing to gybe now and went for another mile run, not such a fast max. but ended up with a slightly faster mile. Chris Stephens came and had a few runs but sadly he missed the best while Strawberry arrived, great to see him back at the beach after several health issues but not windy enough for him. The wind was down but a kiter on a foil was having fun so we went out again, big mistake as the wind went really light and with the tide pushing me I ended up half a mile down the prom for the dreaded walk of shame, the others made it back OK! A crap way to finish a nice session, not perfect but much better than the last few days! It would have been a good day for the two Bolt owners to try their new boards if only one would take them out of the shed and the other come! :) 

PS. it has actually been a good moth so for with 6 sessions covering 218 km :)

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